The subject matter is in the medical field of devices for home care use. It helps prevent leakage of effluent from the stoma during the cleaning and pouch replacement processes associated with an ostomy. An ostomy procedure is necessary to produce an alternate outlet for waste from the body when the normal path is damaged or must be avoided for medical reasons. This new outlet is a portal constructed of the patient's own body tissue, presenting an opening called a stoma. The stoma typically has a rim approximately one inch in diameter slightly protruding from the abdomen. Being constructed of internal tissue, it is vulnerable to abrasion injury. Normal effluent is collected in a pouch appliance adhesively attached to the skin around the stoma. In some configurations, the pouch may be detachable from a pouch-holder component, called a flange, which is adhesively attached to the skirt. The collection pouch may be emptied multiple times by such detachment or through a valved outlet portion of the pouch.
Periodically, with an interval usually in the 3- to 5-day range, the flange and pouch adhesive interface must be replaced. For appliances with the detachable pouch, such renewal typically involves the following steps:
Remove the old flange and pouch,
clean an dry the skin around the stoma where the adhesive interface will contact it,
apply a new layer of protective skin barrier and allow it to become tacky,
attach a new adhesive flange to peristoma area, and
attach a new pouch.
For one-piece pouch appliances, the procedure is similar except for the separate removal and replacement of the flange.
During this replacement process, effluent continues to leak from the stoma and must be collected or prevented from interfering with the tasks. Furthermore, if the peristoma area is not dry when applying the adhesive component, the adhesive will not hold securely, and/or the skin may become irritated and erode with time.
Previous methods to prevent leakage such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,556, U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,704, U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,223, U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,052, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,424, U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,916, U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,081, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,661, for instance, involve the less desirable process of inserting something into the stoma.
Other previous methods known to have been suggested by medical professionals to mitigate consequences of leakage include physical obstruction by hand with non-purpose designed objects lacking sealing surfaces, other forms of plugging with penetrating objects, or frequent mechanical wiping, all options with less effectiveness, comfort, or desirability than the current invention.